I'm Back and ReJuvenated.

Broken Bridge, way down by the river

We can do all things through Christ who strengthens  us ( Philippians 4:13). When you don't have what you want, you have to want what you have (2009, Jody Picoult, Handle with Care).  After much deep reflection, I am ready to continue my work here in Missions of Hope. Every now and then, it is important to take a step back, and assess how am I feeling. And it is also important to deal with those feelings....I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, worn out, dismayed, helpless, and not sure of next steps. Anyone would feel this way given what I see and experience on a daily basis.  But I was rejuvenated today, after visiting one of the most affluent hospitals in Kenya, Gertrude's' Children's Hospital.  While talking to the Occupational Therapist, a vision flashed before my eyes. It was a picture of the MOHI Resource Room and how successful it will be in two years. The OT said she wanted to come see the Resource Room when it gets up and running.  What we are building does not exist anywhere in Kenya.  Kenyans will flock here for Special Education assessments and educational therapy. Colleges will want to send their students here for practicums. It is  happening.  This is HUGE.   And it is coming...Ephesians 3:20 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us". It is crazy, this burst of confidence and strength I have gained.  I changed my lenses, I filter the information differently now. It is OK to wonder and worry a little about these children and families, but it is not OK to think I can fix it all. AND I am growing so close to these people. One of them even said I look different now, not the same as when I started here...I look Kenyan...except I am still white..haha. I am amazed , on a daily basis, when I see what you can do without. Above is a picture of the slums and a broken bridge. The Village People were still using the bridge.

              And check out these little faces..they came in for assessment. Many children wear these hats, as it is their winter here, but temperatures stay in the 60's and 70's.


           There are so many struggles here, but they persevere.  There are no baby bottles here, pampers are a luxury, foster care does not exist, corruption is abound, you may see a herd of cattle cross a three lane highway, a monkey run behind the house, a lizard crawling on the wall of the bedroom eating mosquitoes, three people, including a woman who is dressed for church,  riding on a motorbike or a regular bike for that matter, a donkey pulling a cart down the street.  I saw a tractor trailer, with a bulldozer on the back, and two men riding on the bed of the trailer on the tracks of the bulldozer, make a U-turn on the highway, a truck overflowing with furniture you are sure it is all going to tumble off at any second, a child delighting in pushing a card box around the dirt street  or playing in the sewer water, young homeless boys roaming the streets in clothes they have been wearing for months, glue sniffing children lying in piles of garbage, cats roaming around inside the restaurant you are easting dinner at, vendors selling food items that are covered with flies, men working in construction with shoes that are falling apart, hanging together by threads, with their toes sticking out, while they straighten nails and hand carry 5 gallon buckets of sand and rocks to the site where they are hand mixing cement and mortar,  mothers balancing huge loads on their head and babies on their backs, tied on with shawls, people carrying 20 liter jugs like the yellow one in the picture above, tied on their back using a shawl wrapped around their forehead.   These sites are an everyday occurrence.   But their progress is amazing.  The super highway is very busy.  People do get out of the slums and live productive lives.  Their determination is commendable. Their Faith is extraordinary, and it is genuine. I can learn a lot from these people.  Thank you Lord for blessing my life with this experience.

The Cycle of LIfe

So, if you live somewhere long enough, you will experience the cycle of life and death. The first week I was here, I met a cute little boy who was deaf, Amos.  I also met his mother and father.  His father had been very sick and had just come home from the hospital.  They seemed very happy.  Well, when we went to do a follow up home visit this week, we found out the father had passed away on Monday, due to his illness. It is so sad.  We are encouraging the mother to come to Pangani and join the sewing class.  The life and death cycle is so much quicker when people are living in the slum conditions…

Amos with his Mom and Dad

AND another tragic event happen yesterday.   One of the Missions of Hope 52 -passenger bus, with a team on it, was driving slowly out of one of the schools, through the village, and two drunk people were kidding around, and one of them fell under the bus and was killed.  The team riding the bus was devastated.  Both the bus and the driver were taken to the police station.  This is the same village where we just raised a new church on this past Sunday. The devil is hard at work but God is good.  Usually, when this happens, they village people pull the bus driver out and beat him and terrorize the passengers, but this time the village people surrounded the bus, protecting it and the bus driver, until relief arrived to take the them back to Pangani.  The bus driver was released from jail, after about 6 hours…he said he was witnessing to the people in the jail cell with him.  God has a plan. Although we cannot always see or understand his plans, we need to trust that we are right where we belong.  I trust him.

AND the other day, on our way into Pangani, we saw a crowd had gathered in the street outside the school…after conversation with people, we found out that a thief had been caught and the “Mob Justice” was beating him to death.  He was most definitely killed.  These tragedies are just part of life over here.  That is the only way they know how to live. 

 I realize on a daily basis, that I surely cannot fix everything, but the small things I am doing will have great positive consequences in the future and will positively effect many children’s, familie's, and teacher's lives…. I am well protected and never feel like I am in any danger, even though I may walk through dangerous areas, I know I am protected. I am eternally grateful, Father.  I will keep on my mission.

Kenyan teachers doing assessments, with an intern assisting

   I have trained five Missions of Hope teachers how to do informal assessment of children.  These teachers all have taken some Special Education courses at the college level, here in Kenya and they currently work at MOHI....What a blessing. I hope to use them in the new Resource Room, and replace them in the classroom with new staff...It is all coming together. Thank -you God.         

New Local Church Arises...

Children looking in on church

Cleaning, with brooms /mops

 

Grandma with her grandchild

So, On Sunday, I attended  church at Kiamaiko.  Each school is named after the slum it is located in, and if there is a church there, the church is the same name.  This church/ school has a locked gate because the community is predominately Muslim.  The children were looking in on us as we were preparing to go to church, under the tent. Today was  a special day because the fellowship was turned into a real local church with church leaders whom we commissioned this day. The ceremony was followed by a goat roasting and eating.  At first I thought gross, but what is the difference , as we have Pig Roasts all the time...the goat actually was not that bad. I heard four sermons that day, all in translated Swahli, we were there from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m....that is my all time record for church going on a Sunday! Whew....Speaking of school, pictured above are children at Mathare North; children clean after lunch. The broom is made of straw. Woman sweep walkways daily with these wisps of straw.  They do take pride in their walkways and hallways. Also, older people are very difficult to find in the slums. They simply do not make it. But this is Grandma, she lives in Kiamaiko and she brought her grandson to church on Sunday and stayed for the goat eating ceremony.

Monday morning Assessments....

        

          Things are looking up and I am continued to be blessed on a daily basis. We have almost finished all our assessments. Look at these darling little ones that came to see me Monday morning.....these special needs students are getting the short end of the stick and I think I am changing the system...Woo-Hoo!

I am now drinking Chai out of the staff cups (big plastic cups) instead of the visitors small glass coffee cups. The staff  told me today that I really am a Kenyan now!

The Things I miss about America.... I am Home Sick.....

June 18, 2012

             So I have been away for 24 days and I have 59 more days here. Homesickness is definitely settling in.  Life here is so different. And they do not even know. For me, I know what my life was back in America, brushing my teeth with sink water, driving my car on the right side of the street listening to The Message on my Sirius radio, stopping at the store to run and grab some milk and eggs and some fresh fruit, parking my car at work, laughing with office staff, dinner out if I want, going to Zumba, watching my TV shows, Dancing with the Stars, Criminal Minds, or going to the movies, calling my friends, my sister or my Mom, on the phone just to say Hi, easily navigating the internet with break net speed, taking a nice long hot shower, and jumping into bed (without crawling underneath the mosquito netting every night).   Here there is none of that. There are some stores, of course, but your handbag gets checked by the security guard and his security wand, and the products are simply not the same.  The peanut butter is extremely expensive, as is any chocolate, there is no Hershey’s brand here. I see the meat in the glass case but I wonder, how long was it unrefrigerated….and it sits next to the intestines and the liver and sardines. But mostly there are street vendors where whole cows hang for up to three days and intestines look like pink snakes hanging in the window.   I just walk on by.  I miss my music, you would think I hear it all the time, but Pandora radio does not work over here, the internet is very slow, so I am left to my own mind, trying to remember those church songs I used to sing every Sunday morning, and the songs on the radio, they are fading in my mind….Weight Watcher’s has gone out the window because they eat so many carbohydrates, mashed potatoes, rice, boiled corn starch (ugali), then there is the kale and spinach and beans.  I love it when American teams come over to the house to eat because Dinner is always a treat….maybe spaghetti with meat sauce (kind of) or Mexican, with guacamole and salsa (kind of), they try…..and Fresh fruit  for dessert.

I miss home....

But this is what keeps me going.....

Life is simple here yet so difficult. So simple it is hard to imagine going back to America where all this is at my finger tips.  But I really miss it all. 

What have I accomplished so far.........

            In just  three weeks....  Let's see, first I gathered data, talked to staff, and observed their current state of education.  Then I proceeded to write a Referral process that included holding one or two team meetings. This concept is difficult for the Kenyans to understand, as they are not used to team meetings regarding children. They do lots of teacher training on various topics but they do not talk about the children.  So, I said it will be a 15 - 20 minute meeting with all the right people at the table, including the parent. This is also a foreign concept to them.  The team decides what the child needs and it might not be assessment, it might be family intervention, or changing the child's seat, or sending the child to the eye or ear doctor....The process ends with  eight categories of identification: Autism, Developmental Delay, Hearing Impairment, Visual Impairment, Deaf and / or Blind, Physical Disabilities (includes epileptic, asthma, crutches, etc), Learning Difficulty, and Mental Retardation (we thought hard about this label and decided it was the only words the teachers would understand).  Missing from the list is the category of Emotional Disability and ADHD.  These two categories will be too difficult to discern due to the culture these people live in. I have typed up the Referral form and the Minutes form.  At the end of the Referral process, each team will write a Student Success Plan ( this is the substitute for an Individualized Education Plan) which includes 2-3 goals for this individual child. 

This is Blessing

Evelyn and her mom

      This is a great plan on paper, now to implement it....Reaching out to parents is one of the main focuses of this so we can explain to them that their child is a child of God and is truly a blessing.  We started to attend the community parent meetings weekly to educate the parents.   Matter of fact here is a picture of a child named Blessing.  Her mother heard that we were doing outreach in her community and she was waiting for us when we arrived back at the school for lunch. Blessing is Developmentally Delayed and is functioning as a 6 month old child. She is 2.5 years old. And Evelyn's mother did the same thing, she was waiting for us and when we arrived, she took us to her house.  She carries Evelyn everywhere.  Evelyn is 12 years old and does not speak, she has physical issues and scoliosis.  Evelyn cannot manage any of her own care.  These are two of the children we met.  Another part of the process is assessing the students who are currently in the schools.  That is where we are now.  We completed 97 assessments this week, and will continue to asses the other 25 next week.  We are using an informal system I taught to three teachers who are certified Special Education teachers, from the  Kenyan University system.  We are using simple tools from the classroom and other tools that visiting schools have left for the classroom teachers.

         

Assessment station

 

I made sure that all the teachers are doing the same assessment.  It is surely archaic, but where there was nothing, there is something now.  We have a system and an infrastructure.  The next step is look at all the data and see where it leads us. I have already informed leadership we will need to open a resource room and asked them to start thinking of what classroom space we could use. Now if we only had  a teacher....and on I go.....

So, What is Life in Africa Really Like....

These are Matutus, the main form of transport

         OK, Well, I am fully integrated now, Just imagine, getting up in the morning and hearing Swahili spoken by everyone around you.  There is an occasional word or two of English.  Breakfast is on the table, usually bread of some sort, warm milk and wheat bars, Chai, and juice. I have long forgotten about my morning iced tea from  Dunkin' Donuts or McDonald's....hop in the minivan for a bumpy, windy drive to work.  I never know who will be riding with me, but it is someone different everyday, as this house is a boarding house for all sorts of missionaries, doing all sorts of  short term work. Mattastus are the main public transport, and after I arrive at work, I hop on one of those and head to one of the 14 schools, with two of the social workers; that is an experience all to itself. The ones pictured above are well taken care of....just imagine the others...so far no cooking, no cleaning, and no driving, pretty good so far...Work is challenging because I am trying to develop a sustainable infrastructure for referring and assessing students with special needs...but I have needs too, like toileting..let's talk....the kids have their own toilet, faculty has one and then there is the luxury home toilet. The shower head doubles as an individual hot water heater.  They really are quite inventive and creative when it comes to comfort. 

Student toilet

           On the way to work, there are people walking everywhere, and constant construction. Power tools are a luxury, so everything is done by manual labor, using rocks and sand and hand churned cement in five gallon buckets.You would be amazed what you can do without.  Speaking of doing without, all the laundry is done by hand and cotton takes 2-3 days to dry, so I have to plan ahead about my clothing, who knew???

The Faculty and most homes have toilets like this

I am so happy this is my bathroom

        So, all day, people are still only talking in Swahili,  most of the time I have no idea what they are saying.  Words are over rated.  TV shows are full of dubbed soap operas or news channels.  I miss my music and my  hugs. This is a culture where everyone is greeted with a hand shake and an occasional cheek to cheek touch if you know the person well.  There are absolutely no signs of physical affection anywhere in public or the home.  There is no "fluffiness" here, no coddling, no cuddling, no hugging...they are hard working, no nonsense people and very soft spoken, I have yet to hear anyone raise their voice. Just Imagine....Even I am noticing how loud Americans are, when they come to visit. Don't get me wrong, this is culture full of joy and unwavering Faith and enduring Love for the Lord.  We do laugh a lot and Praise God for his grace and willingness to allow to us another blessed day on His earth.  I am learning so much from their simpleness.  They are just fine the way they are, and it kind of grows on you; hard work, quiet, laid back, no worries, fun, laughing, and lots of Chai and waiting. No expectations. What could be better?

Miracles in Mathare Valley

        Whew, what a week.  Part of the development of a new disability education program is out reach to parents, so we did one impromptu session last week on Friday. We let the parents know that is ok if you have a child with a disability, and you can contact the CHE ( Community Health Evangelism) disability worker, in your school to get some help. As an outsider, I use the current resources they have here, and I do not include myself in any of the sustainable systematic changes I am trying to develop.  After our outreach meeting, a mother came to the school and said she has a son who needs help. In this culture, this is brave step for her to take. So, on Monday morning, we were led by the mother, through the Huruma  slums,  to her house, and into an area that Missions of Hope (MOH) is trying to integrate into.  We were so pleased...

Moses and I

        This is the Miracle of Moses; and we give God all the glory. His mother explained that Moses is 16 and cannot do anything by himself, he is deaf, he does not speak, and has been in the house for ten years and bed ridden most of the time.  We noticed a lump on the bed, covered by a blanket. Our team included me, with two MOH Social Workers, Isabella and Margaret, and an Occupational Therapist, Mitch, and a Physical Therapy  Assistant, Michelle ( how convenient) and kinesiology graduate named Laura,  from the Flip-side church in CA; they were here on a short term mission trip for one week.  We started asking questions of the mom, then we decided it was time to see Moses. The mother woke him and dragged him over the back of the couch, I immediately noticed Moses climbed over the couch and landed in a sitting position on the couch. He was clearly startled and confused, but alert. We talked and assessed him, the OT and PT tried to stand him up and take a few steps supporting him. Moses tolerated it. We thought that was a miracle.  But God can do immeasurably more than  we ever imagined.... Mom said she needed help for his skin and we told her to bring him to the clinic, a 10 minute walk, she said it was impossible.  We left and told her we would try to bring a nurse back with us  tomorrow.

Moses walks

       As the team was eating lunch at the school and preparing for afternoon community work, the mom shows up at the clinic with Moses on the back of a bike.  I can only assume that she felt some hope and gained some courage to get more help for her and her son. The  team members who visited him in the a.m. were in tears.  We could not believe our eyes, she brought him to the clinic. Then, as I  was sitting near Moses, I saw his eyes start to track, and he found Laura, the red headed student.  And then, he simply stood up, walked over to her and sat down. It was 25 foot span. No one said a word.  If I had not witnessed it  with my own eyes, I never could have believed where this child was functioning in the a.m and where he was now. Truly a miracle of God.

Moses use a spoon for the first time

           We visited Moses every day this week, and every day he improves. It is not easy, we spend a lot of time teaching mom techniques to teach her son.   On Thursday his mom turned to me and said, "So he can learn?"  I said, "Yes, absolutely". We are teaching him to put on his shoes and on Thursday he held a spoon and fed himself for the first time.
      His mom is learning very quickly how to teach Moses, she has two other younger children. I explained to her it is like teaching an 18 month old how to do things.  I believe Moses will continue to make great strides.
        In addition to visiting Moses, we saw 9 other new clients this week in the community. The word is quickly spreading throughout the  village that you can get help for your children who are disabled. 
        Next week, I will work with Isabella and Margaret to train some teachers to do informal assessments to see which students need extra help to be successful in school.   We will also be doing teacher training to help the teachers understand that all children can learn.  We certainly have our work cut out for us, but God is clearly leading the way. I just wake up in a.m. and follow his lead....thank you for joining me on my journey...I am sure there are many more miracles awaiting.

         
     

Week One Comes to a Close

Pregnant mother of a 4 children, one which is disabled.

       Wow, imagine, one week ago today, I was driving to the airport, with feelings of excitement, doubt, fear, and utter astonishment that it was actually happening.  God is a funny God;  he gives me just enough doubt and wonderment to push me forward, then fills me with enough courage to conquer the world...and up and down the roller coaster I go.  In those times of deepest doubt, when tears start to swell up in my eyes, and I wonder what in the world can I do for these people, I breathe deeply and quiet my mind.  The answer is always the same: HOPE.
               This mother's story is incredibly sad. Her husband left her again, after she got pregnant, and he married another; she earns money by walking 2 kilometers, to carry water (5 gallon container) back to the neighbors, who pay her 5 shillings, the equivalent of .06 cents, for each trip she makes. She can make up to 20 shillings per day, .24.cents.  She and her children have gone as many as three days without food or water. When we visit, we give counsel, advice, and prayer. And then we go to the next slum shack.
                For those of you who took a green   Pray for One   bracelet from Cross Way Christian church a few weeks ago, I took one too, and gave it seven year old Susie during my visit that day.  She  fell off her mother's back while her mother was running away from her attackers during the political unrest a few years ago here in Kenya. Susie has never been the same. She has trouble walking, she does not speak, and her memory is very poor.  She cannot attend school because she cannot use the bathroom on her own.

Here she is with Social Worker Isabella, a God send for the  Mathare Valley.

      But, in one week's time I have developed procedures for referral of students with learning difficulties, spoken to the educational leaders, and met with a large group of parent in one of the centers, to discuss why I am here. During that meeting, a parent stood up, speaking in Swahli and being translated for me, he said his daughter has special needs and he wanted to know who he should talk to. The school staff answered his question. 
       This is HUGE step in this culture, as many parents are shunned for having children with disabilities.  This time my tears were tears of HOPE.  Next week we are off to do assessments of various students in some of the 14 centers now up and running.